The horizontal line represents the person’s life.1625 - born1776 - “Bibliotheque”1695 - died

Herbelot, Bartholomew D'

, an eminent Orientalist of France, was born at Paris Dec. 14, 1625. When he
had gone through classical literature and philosophy, he
applied himself to the Oriental languages; and especially
to the Hebrew, for the sake of understanding the original
text of the Old Testament. After a continual application
for several years, he took a journey to Rome, thinking that
conversing with Armenians, and other eastern people who
frequented that city, would make him perfect in the knowledge of their languages.

Here he was particularly esteemed by the cardinals
Barberini and Grimaldf, and contracted a firm friendship
with Lucas Holstenius and Leo Allatius. Upon his return
from this journey, in which he did not spend above a year
and a half, Fouquet invited him to his house, and settled
on him a pension of 1500 livres. The disgrace of this minister, which happened soon after, did not hinder Herbelot from being preferred to the place of interpreter for the
eastern languages; because, in reality, there was nobody
else so fit for it: for Voltaire says, “he was the first among
the French who understood them.” Some years after he
took a second journey into Italy, where he acquired so
great a reputation, that persons of the highest distinction
for their rank and learning solicited his acquaintance. The
grand duke of Tuscany, Ferdinand II. whom he had the
honour to see first at Leghorn, gave him extraordinary
| marks of his esteem had frequent conversations with him;
and made him promise to visit him at Florence. Herbelot
arrived there July 2, 1666, and was received by a secretary
of state, who conducted him to a house prepared for him,
where he was entertained with great magnificence, and had
a chariot kept for his use, at the expence of the grand
duke. These were very uncommon honours, but one remained much more grateful to a man of literature; a library being at that time exposed to sale at Florence, the
duke desired Herbelot to see it, to examine the Mss. in
the Oriental languages, and to select and value the best:
and when this was done, the generous prince made him a
present of them.

The distinction with which he was received by the duke
of Tuscany, taught France to know his merit, which had
hitherto been but little regarded; and he was afterwards
recalled and encouraged by Colbert, who encouraged every
thing that might do honour to his country. The grand
tluke was very unwilling to let him go, and even refused
to consent, till he had seen the express order of the minister for his return. When he came to France, the king
often did him the honour to converse with him, and gave
him a pension of 1500 livres. During his stay in Italy, he
began his “Bibliotheque Orientale, or Universal Dictionary, containing whatever related to the knowledge of
the eastern world;” and finished it in France. This work,
equally curious and profound, comprises the substance of
a great number of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish books
which he had read; and informs us of an infinite number
of particulars unknown before in Europe. He wrote it at
first in Arabic, and Colbert had a design to print it at the
Louvre, with a set of types cast on purpose. But after the
death of that minister, this resolution was waved; and
Herbelot translated his work into French, in order to render it more universally useful. He committed it to the
press, but had not the satisfaction to see the impression
finished; for he died Dec. 8, 1695, and it was not published till 1697, folio. What could not be inserted in this
work was digested by him under the title of “Anthologie:”
but this was never published, nor his Turkish, Persian,
Arabian, and Latin dictionary, which, as well as other
works, he had completed.

He was no less conversant in Greek and Latin than in
the Oriental languages and history. He was indeed aa
| universal scholar; and, what was very valuable in him, his
modesty was equal to his erudition, and his uncommon
abilities were accompanied with the utmost probity, piety,
charity, and other Christian virtues, which he practised
uniformly through the course of a long life.

An improved edition of his “Bibliotheque” was published at Maastricht in 1776 1780, fol, but a superior one
has since appeared at the Hague in 4 vols. 4to, 1777 1782. 1

This text has been generated using commercial OCR software,
and there are still many problems; it is slowly getting better
over time.
The text was scanned and OCRd several times, and
a majority version of each line of text was chosen.
Please don't reuse the content
(e.g. do not post to wikipedia)
without asking liam
at holoweb dot net first (mention the colour of your socks in the mail),
because I am still working on fixing errors.
Thanks!